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Watch a young woman in recovery named Amelia perform an unexpected act: she knocks on a stranger’s door and asks her to share a meal. This short drama, directed by Margaux Susi and written by Jan Rosenberg, begins with this simple, bold premise and transforms it into a powerful exploration of human connection.
Amelia, wrestling with her time at a treatment center for food and eating issues, finds herself across the table from Gabby. Gabby is tough, quietly cynical, and navigating the profound loneliness that comes with age and the loss of her loved ones. Within the confines of a few rooms and over the course of a dinner, these two strangers navigate a tentative, halting conversation. Their exchange oscillates between compassionate curiosity and matter-of-fact directness, weaving in valuable personal history that lets us understand their separate journeys.
The film’s pared-down, composed visuals mirror the delicate nature of the encounter. The storytelling avoids sentimentality, instead finding a unique tone that balances wry humor and sober reflection. Through superb, lived-in performances by actors Angela Giarratana and Kate Burton, we see deep emotions carefully held beneath a surface of civility. Amelia grapples with the isolation of her mental health struggle, while Gabby confronts the solitude of her later years. For the duration of this one shared meal, they each break through their respective isolation, offering one another a simple yet profound act of witness.
Inspired by the writer’s own experiences, GUTS portrays a common but often misunderstood aspect of mental health with complexity and accessibility. It acknowledges that recovery is not a straight line and that everyone’s path is different. The film illustrates how the courage to face each day is monumental, and how sometimes, help arrives from an unexpected source. This Sundance-selected short demonstrates that kindness, even from a stranger, can provide a crucial moment of stability and understanding, making a genuine difference in another person’s life.
GUTS. Courtesy of Margaux Susi at https://margauxsusi.com.
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GUTS | Omeleto